Maine life jacket laws require every recreational vessel on state waters to carry one U.S. Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket for each person on board, and starting January 1, 2026, every child under 13 must actually wear one whenever the boat is underway. The rules sit in Maine Revised Statutes Title 12, ยง13068-A, and violations carry civil fines of $100 to $500.1Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 12 – Operating Watercraft Prohibitions
What Every Boat Must Carry
One wearable, Coast Guard-approved life jacket per person, sized to fit that person, in serviceable condition. That applies to motorboats, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, and anything else you put on the water.1Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 12 – Operating Watercraft Prohibitions
Boats 16 feet and longer add one throwable device, the Type IV ring buoy or seat cushion.2eCFR. 33 CFR 175.15 – Equipment Requirements Canoes and kayaks are exempt from the throwable rule at any length.3eCFR. 33 CFR 175.17 – Exemptions
Carrying isn’t enough. Life jackets have to be readily accessible. Sealed compartments, original plastic packaging, or a pile of gear on top of them all fail the accessibility test.4Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Maine Boating Laws and Responsibilities
Who Has To Wear One
Children Under 13
Effective January 1, 2026, Maine raised the mandatory wearing age from 10 to under 13. Any child who has not turned 13 must wear a properly fitting, Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times while a recreational vessel is underway. The only exception is a child below decks or inside an enclosed cabin.1Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 12 – Operating Watercraft Prohibitions
Compliance is the operator’s responsibility, not the child’s. If a warden stops your boat and a 12-year-old on deck isn’t wearing a jacket, the citation goes to whoever is running the boat.
Personal Watercraft
Everyone on a Jet Ski, Sea-Doo, or other personal watercraft must wear a life jacket, regardless of age. Inflatable models do not qualify on a PWC; the jacket must be inherently buoyant.5U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division. State Boating Laws – Life Jackets
Water Skiing and Towed Sports
Anyone being towed on skis, a wakeboard, a tube, or any similar device must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, and inflatables are prohibited for towed use. Barefoot skiers in purpose-built wetsuits and trick skiers whose routines are restricted by a jacket are the narrow exceptions, and even then the tow boat must carry a jacket on board for each exempt skier.6Legal Information Institute. 09-137 CMR Chapter 13 Section 06 – Water Sports
Paddleboards
Stand-up paddleboards count as vessels under federal law any time they are used outside a designated swimming, surfing, or bathing area.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 1 USC 3 – Vessel as Including All Means of Water Transportation That means a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, either worn or kept on the board within immediate reach, plus a sound-producing device such as a whistle, plus a light visible from all directions between sunset and sunrise.
The Saco River and Whitewater
Anyone canoeing or kayaking on the Saco River between the Hiram Dam and the Atlantic Ocean must wear a life jacket from January 1 through June 1 each year, the window covering spring melt.5U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division. State Boating Laws – Life Jackets Certain whitewater areas also carry mandatory wearing requirements; the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife posts signage at affected launch points.
Condition, Fit, and Inflatables
A Coast Guard label is not enough on its own. Torn fabric, broken buckles, deteriorated foam, waterlogged material, or straps that no longer tighten all cause a life jacket to fail inspection, and a failed jacket draws the same citation as no jacket at all.4Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Maine Boating Laws and Responsibilities
Size has to match the wearer’s weight and chest dimensions as listed on the manufacturer’s label. An adult jacket on a child fails. A child’s jacket on an adult fails. Officers verify the fit against the label.
Inflatable life jackets are legal on most recreational boats, but they do not satisfy the requirement for anyone on a personal watercraft, anyone being towed, or any child under 13 who has to be wearing one.6Legal Information Institute. 09-137 CMR Chapter 13 Section 06 – Water Sports
Boater Safety Education
The same stops that check life jackets often check education certificates. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1999, needs a boating safety course completion to operate a motorboat over 25 horsepower on Maine’s inland or territorial waters, and must be at least 12 to complete the course. Carry the certificate on the water.8Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Boating Safety and Education Course
For a personal watercraft, the operator must be at least 16 and hold the certificate. An adult born after January 1, 1999, supervising a child under 12 on a motorboat over 10 horsepower also needs the certificate and must be at least 16.8Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Boating Safety and Education Course
Fines and Enforcement
Operating without the required life jackets, or letting a child under 13 ride uncovered while underway, is a civil violation with a fine between $100 and $500 per infraction.1Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 12 – Operating Watercraft Prohibitions Game wardens and marine patrol officers run equipment checks throughout the season, especially at busy ramps and on popular lakes. Visible, accessible, correctly sized jackets in good condition are what get a boat cleared and back on the water.